Turkey remains one of the most popular holiday destinations for Yemenis. This is according to the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office in Dubai, which found that Yemenis visiting Turkey increased by 40% during the first four months of this year compared to the same period in 2013.

Turkey is one of the most popular holiday destinations for Middle Eastern citizens.

“Turkey remains a popular destination, not only for the Middle East but globally,” said Mustafa Ozdemir, cultural & information attaché, Cultural & Information Office Turkish Consulate General in Dubai. “It’s understandable that the Middle East and Turkey both have historical and cultural ties and this is evident in the increase of tourists over the last year. Residents are choosing the country based on its locality, cost and historical richness,” he added.

Last year Turkey attracted more than 39 million tourists, making it the sixth most popular tourist destination in the world. While Istanbul remains the most popular city for Middle Eastern tourists to visit in Turkey, Antalya, Bodrum and Bursa are fast becoming destinations of choice, especially during the peak summer period in July and August.

“In order to further increase visitors and highlight Turkey to Yemen, we will be looking for opportunities to invest in tourism in order to foster sustainable growth and mutual understanding between our two countries,” added Ozdemir.